KiteboardING 101 -- Getting Started

KiteboardING 101

Part II: Get Started

Part II of today's official “Kitesurfing” Day! Bing.com is promoting a #summerofdoing …basically cool adjectives of ING sports and hobbies with this week all about #Riding

Last year I hosted a Learn to Kiteboard video series for the International Kitesurfing Organization (IKO). They are the worldwide premiere school for learning to kite. A lot about kitesurfing is counter-intuitive, so learning from a certified instructor allows you to learn the sport quickly and safely.

Trailer for the series:

You can go to http://ikointl.com for tips, locations, schools, and general information on taking your kitesurfing ability to new levels. Create a log- in for a free 15 day trial and access to all 21 learn to kite videos. The series takes you through the basics of equipment, learning to ride, edging upwind, self lauch,  self rescue and jumping.

KiteboardING 101 -- Q and A

KiteboardING 101

Part I: Frequent Q & A’s

Part II: Get Started

Today is officially “Kitesurfing” Day! (In honor of the kitesurfing day, be sure to use the hashtag #kitesurfing as often as you can today!)  Bing.com is promoting a #summerofdoing …basically cool adjectives of ING sports and hobbies with this week all about #Riding

For all those kiteboarding newbies out there I’d like to take advantage of this social media blitz to answer popular questions every non-kiteboarder asks.  Part Two KiteboardING 101 will focus specifically on “RIDING.”

For all you seasoned kiters…you might get a chuckle cuz I know you’ve heard these before. Maybe this time the guy on the beach watching the “parasailing” who asks you twenty questions while you’re rigging your lines will read this instead.

Q: "What’s the difference between kitesurfing and kiteboarding?"

A: The two words are often used interchangeably to generically describe the sport. The most accurate descriptions use kitesurfing for wave riding a directional board or surfboard and kiteboarding typically refers to wake or freestyle ridingusing a twintip board.

Q: "Can I rent one of those things?"

A: No, you can’t. Especially not if you’re going to ask that question. Sorry! There are places and shops that demo gear to kiteboarders. There are some countries/areas that rent gear but you have to demonstrate or prove your skills first. Bottom line, if you’re new take a lesson from a pro or certified instructor. You’ll be glad you did.

Q: "How much does the whole kit cost?"

To buy new, the whole package of kite, bar, lines, board, harness will easily cost you in the $2,000 -- $3,000 range. Used you can find a decent package for around $1000 but it might take some hunting and it will take some knowledge of equipment to ensure you get good equipment.

Q: "How long does it take to learn?"

A: It all depends on the person. I know people that successfully got on the board day one, and I’ve seen people who have been flying the kite for weeks and still haven’t touched a board. What I will say is this:  yes, any experience with other boardsports or wind sports will be helpful.  90% of learning to kiteboard is mastering flying the kite. How consecutively you go out will make difference too. Time on the water and muscle memory play a huge role in the learning curve. Typically what I’ve witnessed is three consecutive days with minimum of two hours per day will get you on the water with a board. How long it takes to get self-sufficient is a whole other story.

Q: "Will the kite launch you into the sky?"

A: Only if you make it. The wind blows parallel to the ground, not from the ground up. The kite acts like a sail and naturally wants to drag you in in the direction of the wind aka downwind.

Q: "How high can you jump?"

A: What’s funny about this question is that no matter how progressive freestyle riding gets, people always want to know this. Typically kiteboarders can jump as high as 40 ft but there are always those that can go even bigger. Shout out to Ruben Lenten for taking the crowd pleasing awe of heights to a new dimension, making his mega-loops famous. http://binged.it/M5kUIq

To Conference Or Un-Conference: Not Even A Question.

I don’t have a dog in this fight. I don’t own a start-up. I’m not a VC. But I do gravitate toward creativity, innovation, and problem solving.

I moved to Venice, CA a little over a year ago and in this time have immersed myself in the growing “silicon beach” scene on the Westside of LA. I increasingly find myself attending various events, talks and parties. As a newbie to the scene, some conferences and meet ups are worth attending, others are not. But with the ever-growing number of events to go to, most with fees associated...How do you know which ones are best? What is going to be worth your while?

Just this past month, I have attended two formal global conferences: All Things Digital (D10) in Palos Verde, California and LeWeb in London.

A little "team building" exercise for
entrepreneurs by Naish at MaiTai Maui, 2012

Below are some helpful hints on getting the most of out conferences and events.  But the moral of the story? Unconference wins. What are un-conferences? It’s a networking event within a group that the focus is simply socializing.  Forming relationships, meeting new people, and making connections that you can later take to the meeting room. It allows for a much more relaxed, no pressure environment to get to know the potential people you might do business with. Think of it as a party with like-minded people.

So, if you do attend conferences (which we all still have to do). Here’s what I learned:

Real value from any event comes from socializing and meetings in the hallways. Most of my best contacts and favorite contacts are people I’ve met hanging out in the hallway, through friends or at the receptions after.

And for comparison...a classic tech event.  Reminds me
of  college. When I was more interested in checking out
who's in the room than the class itself.

Conferences are a waste of time and money unless you are a) looking to meet investors b) presenting—therefore gaining media attention and recognition amongst your peers c) you are the media d) have specific goals, clients, information, or networking you are looking to gain d)looking for a job, scoping the competition

Think ahead of time what you want out of it, and how you’re going to get it. Rarely do the talks themselves provide valuable enough to attend live when you can just cherry pick the good ones online for free.

Authenticity goes a long way. I have honestly been disappointed by the quality of some of the moderators and interviewers on stage. I can only handle so much ass kissing. I can only handle so much antagonizing. Do your homework. Play fair. And don’t forget, this is an industry conference. People don’t need a 101. They are going because they are already in the industry and are looking for more value. Individuals pay a lot of good money to attend. We want good, honest, interesting questions. If a company is successful, what problems did you face along the way? What are the questions or problems your company is honestly facing right now? How did you overcome you previous challenges? Get specific. We’re here to learn. We’re here to gain insight from those that have been there done that. Whether that’s on the marketplace, the industry as a whole, company issues, or individual thoughts. Just please please give us substance.

Until then, why would anybody pay hundreds to thousands of dollars to attend a conference when I can sit in the comforts of your own home watching the videos stream live or replayed on youtube.